Student organizations at Pakistan’s Punjab University are demanding that the school abolish music and drama courses. (Hat tip: Ixnay.)

LAHORE: A handbill widely distributed by the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) in the Punjab University denounced Punjab Governor Lt Gen (r) Khalid Maqbool and Punjab government’s policy to start music and drama courses at higher education institutions.

The handbill, distributed after Friday prayers at the main PU mosque and allegedly representing PU students, effused determination to resist secularism and enlightened moderation in educational institutions and called for promoting Islamic ideology on campus. Handwritten posters also sprung up at different spots in the Punjab University saying, “Stop music, Stop drama in the university.”

The IJT and the Muttahida Talaba Mahaz (MTM), an alliance of eight student organisations, have announced a campaign against music and against the governor from today (Saturday), and a referendum on all campuses on the subjects. On the other hand, Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood said about the referendum that the government’s policies could not be stopped. He added that music and drama should be taught, and they were the essence of society. …

The Urdu handbill reads [translation]: Pakistan was achieved in the name of Islam after thousands of sacrifices to make a society living according to Islam. Educational institutions are the base of that ideology and their youth is a guarantee for practicing those Islamic ideological teachings. But the current [government] authorities had reversed this objective and started to focus on “so called enlightened moderation.” They are misleading youth.

The handbill reads that PU students were justified in asking the governor/chancellor: “Is Islam not the ideology of this state? Can music defend the ideological boundaries of Pakistan? Is stage drama a guarantee of the ideology of Pakistan? Which secular objectives were being achieved with such policies?” It read that “so called enlightened moderation” was making society rudderless and personal motives were being gained from educational institutions.

The handbill added that PU students were determined to defend the ideological boundaries of the state at all cost. They would oppose secular agenda and ‘obscenity’ in the name of music and drama would be resisted. Moreover, some students that at the last Friday prayers (May end) the Khateeb of the PU main mosque shocked the PU teachers and deans when he asked how they tolerated the statement by the governor at a post-book fair dinner encouraging music classes in the Punjab University. “It is teachers’ responsibility to prepare youth to defend Islam and Pakistani ideology,” they quoted the Khateeb as having said.